Narrow Road To The Deep North 19

In 1582, Nobunaga was in a position to finish off the Takeda clan, once and for all. Massing all of his 100,000 men, he rode easily into Katsuyori's still considerable territories, whose inhabitants had lost all confidence in their daimyô. Katsuyori, was abandoned by his men, and committed suicide in the shadow of Temmoku Mountain. Of all the Oda's samurai enemies, Nobunaga despised the Takeda most of all, and gloated shamelessly over Katsuyori's head. On May 21 Nobunaga returned to Azuchi Castle, greeted by an imperial court that promised him new titles including, if he wanted it, that of shôgun. He gave no answer, nor would he ever.
Already, one of Nobunaga’s closest and most capable generals, was plotting against him. For thirteen years, Akechi Mitsuhide had served Nobunaga, defending Shogun Yoshiaki, defeating the Ikkō-ikki at Enryakuji Temple, and pacifying the clans of the Tamba region. Although Nobunaga rarely trusted his retainers completely, his particular confidence in Mitsuhide rewarded him with the gift of Sakamoto, the first castle bestowed on a subordinate.
But there was another side to Nobunaga’s relationships with his retainers. He treated them haughtily, and. nowhere more the case than with Akechi Mitsuhide. A relatively late addition to Nobunaga's inner circle, Akechi was a talented poet, provoking his lord's jealousy. Several public insults Nobunaga had directed at Mitsuhide so fueled the situation that they had even drawn the attention of some Western observers. While staying at Azuchi Castle, Ieyasu Tokugawa complained about the food he was served, and Nobunaga responded by throwing Mitsuhide's priceless dinnerware into the garden pond. But the event that irreversibly deepened the rift between the two men had occurred in 1577. Akechi had besieged the castle of the Hatano clan, and succeeded in securing the bloodless surrender of the daimyô Hideharu and bringing him before Nobunaga, under promise of protection for their personal safety. To his shock, Nobunaga ordered Hideharu and his brother executed. The Hatano blamed Akechi for the betrayal and, in revenge, kidnapped and brutally murdered his mother. Not surprisingly, this did not sit well with Mitsuhide. Within two months Nobunaga would be dead.